There's no place like home.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Outside my window...the sun is smiling, there is a light breeze blowing and so far the humidity is nowhere to be found!!!!! It is a beautiful day to have an adventure. Hotel Grandma is open for business again. After sending Layn home on Saturday and yesterday we welcomed Annie and Kaycie.

I am thinking...this grandma thing is a unique adventure in itself. Grand kids obey much more readily than do your own children. They also look at you in adoration simply because of your title. You never really have to actually do anything to make them feel that way, but you sure want to be awesome just to be worthy.

The hike we took yesterday is a case in point. What could be more awesome than a grandpa who poses in a cave with you or who lets you take turns being the leader on the trail?

I am thankful...for the rain which we needed desperately, the sunshine that makes my heart soar, and for the people who fill my world.

I am reading...a couple of new books of patterns that came in the mail over the weekend.

From the kitchen...the girls and I enjoyed a lovely fritatta made by Auntie Mate. Later we will have something made with chicken since grandpa brought home cooked chicken from the grocery.

Creatively speaking...I have orders for chapel veils and a couple of bags so we all know what my week will look like!

These kids hiked up hills and down for over a mile and they are still looking fresh as a bouquet of daisies. The beauty of this type of activity is that Annie and Kaycie were both asleep before we had driven a mile back home!!!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week...tonight there is a "touch a truck" event in town which the kids and I plan on going to. New sewing on Monday since that is clean the house day and take the girls for pedis day.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...

After a day of church, hiking, napping, and generally hanging around my girls and I hit the hot tub for a bit of relaxation while Papa grilled the burgers and dogs for supper. I love this life that I am living.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Life, I am convinced, should be measured by the moments that make time stop and stand still for you. I am so blessed to be in the middle of one very long heart and time stopping moment.

Today's Layn adventure began with a trip to the hair salon in WalMart. Auntie Mate has a lot of thick hair. This morning she decided to have it all off to help her beat the heat and humidity that we have been, ahem, enjoying. Not to be left out of the fun Layn volunteered to have his golden locks cut too.

Two haircuts and one eyebrow waxing later and they are both looking very spiffy! I got to observe and revel in the love that these two have for each other. That's a time stopping moment if ever there was one.

Next stop, the local library! Back in the old days (at least when I was young and my kids were little) you could get your first library card as soon as you could write your name. That was in the days of actually signing out on the card in the back of the book. I don't know what the criteria is now but Layn bellied up to the circulation desk, signed on the line and is now the proud possessor of a bona fide passport into the world of adventure and learning.

After all that excitement this boy was HUNGRY! Back to grandma's house for a couple of English muffin pizzas and he is now fueled and ready for whatever comes his way.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Since before he was born this little guy has been mine. There are no words to describe the special place that he has in my heart. Not just because he is the first grandchild or because he's a boy (I have a soft place for little boys), but just because he's Layn.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Outside my window...the sun is shining fiercely as if it needs to work hard to get all its heat to earth. The weather men are predicting a hot and muggy day ending in God's own fireworks display. (I'm hoping if I describe thunderstorms poetically I might like them better.) Inside my house it is cool and comfortable. There is light jazz playing on the stereo and my workroom has been hit by a fabric tornado. Since being outside will be uncomfortable I thought today is a good day to spend working on some ideas that I have been hatching.

I am thinking...about the effect that color has on the psyche. I am personally a green person. The sight of all things green make me feel peaceful and cool inside. Wearing green makes me feel confident. The more green I wear in a day is usually indicative of how un-confident I feel when I get dressed.

I am thankful...for these little people in my life. My daughters, Kathleen and Maryanne, and the most thoughtful and generous mothers. In spite of their busy schedules they never fail to take time out to share Evie and Edmund's antics.

This little boy is the very image of his daddy. Looking at him always takes me back to those young days.

I am reading...not a thing right now. I find that the heat makes it difficult for me to sit still and read so books have been shelved for a little while.

From the kitchen...Papa requested egg salad sandwiches with fresh lettuce and tomatoes for supper. Pretty easy since I hard cooked three dozen eggs over the weekend.

Creatively speaking...I am hatching ideas and covering my world in fabric. I derive my inspiration from color, textures, and shapes that surround me. When I am working out ideas I tend to drape, spill, and pile fabrics and patterns all over my work area. I have been making bags lately and experimenting with different combinations of stabilizers. This morning I discovered that my local WalMart is now stocking fusible fleece and flex foam!!!!! It is a 45 minute drive either east or west to go to my local fabric store. Though I do order notions and other supplies online I like to touch yard goods before I buy. Maybe if I keep shopping in the WalMart fabric department they will continue to expand?

One final shot from Annie's birthday train trip. It is next to impossible to get my son to sit for a picture. (Notice the sunglasses!)

Saturday evening grandma roasted some marshmallows for this sticky little boy. It cracks me up to see him try to get all the sugar off his face and fingers.

This past Mother's Day my kids gifted me with a porch swing. Since our house is a rental he decided not to hang it on the porch, making an A-frame for it instead.

Not that I have a lot of time for sitting and swinging but it is a pleasure to sit there of an evening saying my rosary and counting my blessings.

After all the building and gardening and mowing was done
Monday night Papa relaxed the best way possible.

A few plans for the rest of the week...there isn't a lot of week left but I will manage to keep busy somehow. There is always laundry, floors to clean, and meals to fix. Being unemployed isn't an excuse for sitting around.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you...Kaycie and Annie like to ride their trikes around on the patio pretending they are stopping in the Dunkin Donuts drive though to order coffee. I think Kim and I might just indulge that taste a bit too much since both of the girls know just how to order for both of us.